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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Everyday Discourses on Disability: A barrier to successful disability policy?

subject

description

Concerning the role of everyday discourses on disability in the realiza- tion of disability policy, this qualitative study focuses on the problematic meanings of disability and of being disabled in 45 fictional texts about a disabled woman and man (21/24) written by non-disabled graduate students and welfare professionals. The traditional individualising un- derstanding of disability was dominant in the discourses of the texts, especially in those about the disabled women which also repeated oth- ering discourses. The socio-environmental understanding was echoed as well, but mainly in the texts about the disabled men. I discuss the possible practical consequences of the polarised and gendered discourses for disa- bled women and men, and for the disability policy. I suggest that there is a need to develop critical consciousness of the harmful everyday discourses on disability, especially among professionals working with and for disa- bled people, as social workers.